Five reasons I’ll never give up team sport

By 9Honey | Presented by Suncorp| 2 years ago

This is why you shouldn't give up team sports

When Anna French was just seven years old she tried out for her very first netball game. She was nervous and didn’t even know the rules. But with her Dad on the sideline egging her on, that first run around the court sparked a lifelong love affair with team sports. With a high-stress career travelling the globe – Anna, 37, believes team sports have kept her sane, svelte and successful.

“I absolutely love team sport – it’s my life! I started playing netball when I was seven years old and took up hockey at nine years of age. Once I hit high school I was playing A-Grade hockey. After graduating I had a gap year in Germany. I didn’t play team sports for 12 months and I really noticed the difference. I felt tired and depressed. As soon as I was back at university in Australia, I started playing netball again. Here’s why you should never give up team sport …

1. You’ll never be lonely

“I have moved a lot for work and throughout my travels, the one consistent thing has been team sport,” confesses Anna. “Whenever I arrive in a new city the first thing I do is join a local sporting club. It helps me meet people and give consistency to a life where everything is new. Recently I took up mixed touch football, which is a fantastic way to meet guys and build your social network.”

2. You’ll get super fit

“The best thing about team sport? You get super fit in a snap! On the field you don’t realise how hard you’re working, so it’s a cinch to hit those fitness goals and reach a high level of fitness sooner. The drive to win pushes you physically. It’s just so hard to reach that sort of intensity at the gym.”

3. You’ll be a nicer person

“I’m honestly much less bitchy when I regularly play team sports. Hockey and netball are really physical sports and in hockey especially, you can let your anger out on the ball. Letting out stress and frustration on the sporting field is an easy, healthy way to better mental health.”

4. You’ll be more successful

“In my professional life, I’m great at managing people and I put it all down to a lifetime of playing team sport. When I build a team at work, just like in sport, I select people with individual strengths that compliment each other – I don’t just focus on personality types.

In team sports, everyone benefits from working together to achieve the goal – winning! You can translate this strong team spirit into everything you do and support the people around you to succeed.”

5. It will bring your family closer together

“My Dad is sports mad! He loves footy and was a sprinter in his youth. It was his passion for sport that first pushed me along to that very first netball game. He played with me every weekend and even coached my team for a few years.

When I injured my knee in my teens during a hockey game he was my rock. He was there every step of the way as I went through physio and helped me focus on the bigger life picture.

My Dad and I have a really close relationship and a great deal of that has to do with playing sports together. I tell everyone to play team sports with their partner or kids or mates. It will totally enhance every part of your life and it’s something positive and healthy you can all do together.”

*In partnership with Netball Australia, Suncorp’s #TeamGirls initiative aims to build the confidence and self-esteem of girls through sports participation.